UGH! It's been 4 months since your post so wondering how it all got resolved? My first thoughts were, "what's your approved working budget and what is the line item for Teacher Appreciation?" Each PTO should operate with a budget approved by their general assembly, and this can be a changing document. I have had similar experiences with our organization that did not have a budget so they said yes to a bunch of stuff and paid out things well beyond our ability. This is just not good practice. Plus, according to PTA guidelines (which are really good for PTOs to consider), hospitality should not be more than 5% of your overall budget. You can solicit contributions like for a potluck or giveaways, but not out of your budget.

Has anyone ever experienced their Parent Teacher Org becoming a Teacher Parent Org? I was always under the impression that the purpose of these organizations was to enrich the educational experiences of our children but my PTO has become toxic (In my opinion) They argue whether or not to support the school by providing paper for school work or a protective film for the windows in the cafeteria but don't bat an eyelash when someone requests $3000 for Teacher appreciation week. My wife and I were unceremoniously voted out for questioning this line of thinking. Is there anything to be done in this case or is it just a matter of letting itself burn out? and then maybe reestablishing a new PTO when that one dies?